Month 8

Today's the last day of school for 2009!

Braden got to meet Santa on Wednesday. He didn't start crying until the 1-year-olds and 2-year-olds started freaking out... Braden's daycare party yesterday went well. All the kids had their share of wrapping paper to munch on!

I'm going to try and scan in the pictures they gave me from daycare and get them posted this weekend. Until then, these will have to do:

Braden Cai - Month 8

1st Snow!

Braden got to experience his first snowfall on Friday, December 4th, 2009, in Houston - of all places... It started snowing about 8am and continued throughout the evening. I've got pictures that I'll try to get posted before Christmas.

Month 7

Braden Cai - Month 7

Rib Pics

The rib pictures have now been added to this set of photos!

Braden Cai - Week 21

Month 6 Photos!

Braden Cai - Month 6

11/21 update

Okay - evidently once a month still isn't sufficient for me to get new pics posted... I am actually still uploading pictures (when I can) to the Google site. (They may be uploaded, but not labeled yet.) You can access the photos through any of the previous google links posted here.

I've had several calls asking about teeth. Braden does now have 2 lower teeth. He got his 2nd tooth on October 14th - 1 week after the 1st tooth.

Braden is now ~26 inches and ~18.5 pounds!

We're looking forward to Thanksgiving (and the break that goes along with it).

BCC - Working Album

1st Tooth!

Braden's first tooth came in on October 7th! We found it when he was down for a diaper change and was staring up at some toys and had his mouth open. It's the lower central right incisor.

Braden is now also sitting up very much on his own. He can't yet get there by himself, but he can stay there for quite a while!

I'm going to try and get picture updates posted within the next week. Monthly seems to be a more feasable timeline for updates these days...

Catching Up - Again...

The start of school has definitely been a challenge! Braden is having a blast at daycare - even if he has already been sent home three times due to illness... (His immune system is figuring out how to work!)

Pics! (click on each to see the rest of that week)
Week 14 - Visiting Gran

Braden Cai - Week 14

Week 15 - At the DZ (CPC 1)

Braden Cai - Week 15

Week 16 - Back at Gran's

Braden Cai - Week 16

Week 17 - At Gran's while Mommy's away...

Braden Cai - Week 17

Week 18 - 1st week at daycare

Braden Cai - Week 18

Week 19 - 1st week of school

Braden Cai - Week 19

Week 20 - food...

Braden Cai - Week 20

Week 21 - chillin'

Braden Cai - Week 21

Braden Cai - Week 14

Here's week 14! I may have some more pics to add, just have to get them uploaded...
Click here to view these pictures

Braden Cai - Week 13

Sorry this week's post is so late. Braden and I were abducted by Gran again this week for Nannie's birthday. Gran came down to get us on Thursday, we left for DFW on Friday, then Uncle Dean brought us back on Wednesday. We had fun getting to visit and play with everyone. Braden even went to his first movie - HP6.

Here are the pics from this week: (The few I have posted to Picasa can be found by using the link in the previous post. I'll post the rest there once I get them copied over to my computer.)

Click here to view the pictures

Story Time

Braden decided it's his turn to read to Mommy:

From Braden Cai - Week 13

From Braden Cai - Week 13

New Title & Address

I've changed the address of this blog to:
http://carroll-family-blog.blogspot.com/

Since we now know our baby's name I thought that "babycarrollsblog" was not as appropriate. Also, with the new address and title, I don't feel as bad about posting other family info that's not just related to Braden...

We do still have Braden's Shutterfly site also:
http://bradencaicarroll.shutterfly.com/

Braden Cai - Week 12

Braden is still working on rolling over. Some days he's a roll over fiend. Other days he struggles.

He's still gnawing on anything he can get into his mouth. He manages to get his fist in there sometimes and he'll bite down... Not so good. How do you make a bitten fist stop hurting? :(

We managed to make it out to Skydive Houston to visit on July 11th. Braden stayed awake our entire visit! (~5pm - 10pm)

He is growing up SO fast!

Braden Cai - Week 12

Rolling Over

Braden rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time today! Of course, he had to do it while I was out of the room... I went in the kitchen to get dinner started and came back to find he had rolled over! I tried to get him to do it again, but that didn't work. He is also now holding himself up with his arms instead of just arching his back to raise his head. He sure is growing up fast!

This should make nights more interesting now. We'll have to see how much longer he'll continue sleeping through the night now that he can roll over...

Other news:
Braden is gnawing on anything that he can get into his mouth now - which is anything that gets near enough for him to grab.

Braden Cai - Week 11

Grandad made it down to visit at the beginning of this week!
We lounged around the house and rested toward the end of the week, with an outing on Thursday. (As of Thursday, Braden is up to 11 lbs, 6 oz.)
By the week's end, we were celebrating the 4th of July at Nick's!

Braden Cai - Week 11

Braden Cai - Week 10

Check it out - I'm posting EARLY!

Braden Cai - Week 10

Braden is settling into a regular schedule - kind of. He doesn't really do anything at the same time each day, but he's very consistent in his timing of things. He normally eats every 4 hours - with the occasional feeding after 3 hours. He plays for about an hour or two after "breakfast" and "lunch" then naps for the rest of the time. After "dinner" he stays up and plays until his snack before bed.

Braden is getting so strong! He is standing for extended periods now - supported of course. He's trying to sit up on his own and is now using his Bumbo for short periods. He's spending more time on his play mats on his tummy and is starting to use his arms to push up more. When he moves around on his mat he tends to go in counter-clockwise circles... (He's already got a left-hand pattern going!)

Oh - we learned the hard way - bell peppers and onions don't mix well with babies...

Week 9

Week 8 Update

Braden Cai - Week 8

Week 9
Braden had a Dr appointment Monday. He got his first round of vaccinations and did such a good job handling them! He only cried for a couple of minutes. We also got new measurements:
Weight: 10 lbs, 15.5 ozs
Length: 22.5 in

Braden Cai - Week 9

Week 8

Here are some Week 8 pics of Mr. Cai:

Braden Cai - Week 8

There are more pics coming - I'm just waiting to make sure I've got all of them before posting again.

Laughs!

When we got home tonight, Braden and I were playing - making faces and noises - on the bed and he let out a loud vocalization that sounded like he was trying to laugh. We continued playing and making faces a while longer but he didn't vocalize again...
We then moved to the den to watch AFV and play some more. I was laughing at one of the AFV clips and Braden joined in! I laughed several more times and he repeated! We went back and forth for about five minutes.
Braden sure is growing up fast!

I know I haven't posted any week 8 pictures yet... I'll try and get them up in the next couple of days.

Braden Cai - Week 7

Braden's hair is already coming back in after falling out last week!

Braden's vision is getting much better - he can see me well enough to smile at me about 6 feet away! He can also track moving objects that are further away than that.

Braden is getting so much stronger now too! He is getting really good at his push-ups! He's got the leg motion down and is working on the capability to raise his head and torso - now he just has to coordinate and he'll be crawling!

Braden has almost captured his toes a couple of times. I'm sure this will make diaper changes much more interesting...

Braden Cai - Week 7

Braden Cai - Week 6

I know - I'm behind in posting pics - again... (I'll try and have the next set up early next week.) I've got a good excuse this time though - Gran came down and abducted us so she could surprise the rest of the family by popping in at Ali's graduation on May 29th and it's taken me a while to get back in the swing of things. Braden traveled very well. We stopped every 2-3 hours for feeding/potty stops. In between stops, he slept - as he does when traveling around town.

This week, we went up to the school on Tuesday and Thursday to make sure everything was in order there. Today, I had my post-partum check-up. I've now been released to return to work - as of June 15th... I managed to sneak Braden onto the scales and he's now weighing in at 10 lbs!

Anyhow - here's what I'm sure you've been looking for:

Braden Cai - Week 6

Braden Cai - Week 5

Braden is becoming more vocal now - especially around bedtime... He's also smiling quite a bit more too!

I think I'm getting better at traveling with him now too - around town at least.

Week 5

Braden Cai - Week 4

I know I'm a little behind in posting these...

Week 4

Braden went for his 1-month check-up yesterday and weighed in at 9 lbs, 2 ozs!
He also measured 21 inches long and a head circumference of 39 cm.

Photo Site & Week 3

I've made a new site with shutterfly to host Braden's photos. The Picasa site is still up also, but I've been getting complaints about picture quality on Picasa...

The new site: http://bradencaicarroll.shutterfly.com/

Here's week 3 photos on Picasa:

Braden Cai - Week 3

I know, there aren't many pics from this week... Mom left and I've been a little overwhelmed this week. Between a fiasco at work, sleep deprivation, a list of chores that keeps growing, and trying to figure out this whole mommy thing - I've been a wreck.

Braden Cai - Week 2

Pics from 4/26 - 5/2

Braden Cai - Week 2

Post-op experiences:

Let me start with this: Braden and I both made it out alive - and that's great!

Saturday: After delivery, I was put in a recovery room for what I'm guessing is a couple of hours. Daniel came in to sit with me for a while. The nurses came in at one point and Daniel left - I really can't remember why. The nurses checked my dressing, gave me a new gown, and started wheeling me to my room.

I'm not sure if I was awake or not for the entire trip to my room. I remember looking at the sconces made with brightly colored marbles...

At some point that afternoon/evening, Tom and Angela stopped by. They brought the most beautiful Friendship Rose! I wish Maddy could have come too.

One of my L&D nurses stopped by to visit before her shift started Saturday night. Boy were we glad she stopped by. She mentioned something about how I shouldn't be feeling any pain with my pain management. We looked at her oddly - I'm sure. She clarified - the button you can push for more pain medicine. We still looked at her oddly. She asked, "Didn't the nurse tell you about your pain management?" No nurse told us about a pain management button... She looked around and said, "Oh, your button is still back here on the wall." She then moved the button within my reach and attached it to my pillow so I could find it if I let it go. This failure to inform me of my pain medication should have been a huge red flag to us...

Sunday: I managed to get up and change into my gown before people started coming to visit. Steve, Darlene, and Faye stopped by, then Jessica, Mason, and Marley, then Maurine and Renee. I apologize for being "out of it" for part of the visits - I evidently pushed my pain management button a few times... I really enjoyed having visitors!

Some time during this day, I had gotten up and felt something pull on my right hip. When I investigated, I found that the tape holding on my bandage had started to peel up - with my skin still attached! I asked the nurses about this every time they came in. They kept telling me that I could soak it off once I could take a shower. I wouldn't be able to shower until late Monday...

Monday: My doctor stopped in to check on me. When she went to look at my incision, she said, "Why is that still there? I can't see the incision through the bandage." I told her what the nurses had been saying about being able to soak it off sometime today after they take the epidural out. She said, "The bandage should have come off Sunday morning!" She reached to take it off and I stopped her. I told her that my skin was being ripped off by the bandage. She said, "That needs to come off now. I'll have to come back and look at in once it's off." I then proceded to very gently take it off. There was no way I was going to let these nurses touch this bandage!

After asking all morning when someone would be coming to remove my epidural, they came in shortly after my doctor left and removed it - finally. At this point they started me on oral pain medications. Which, I had to call for - they didn't just bring them when it was time for the next dose...

Eggy stopped by to visit with a friend of hers - they happened to be taking a class in the area!

Tuesday: People started coming in with paperwork... We had to fill in the information for Braden's birth certificate, sign forms stating that I didn't want him vaccinated against Hepatitis B (this is normally a vaccination that only healthcare workers receive), and sign forms stating that I did want a DTaP (or is in TDaP) booster.

A nurse came in to take out my staples - that was interesting.

Finally - we're out of here! To home we go!

Extras: Aside from the issues pointed out already - I guess the nurses assume that people will keep track of wet and dirty diaper times, and feeding times and lengths. They kept coming in and asking for this info. I guess it's a good thing I kept track of all of it...

They failed to mention the wetness indicator on the diapers too. Mom even asked several of them how we were supposed to know if he was wet since these diapers hold so much...

I may remember other flubs later, but Braden is waking up from his nap now.

Weight update: Braden weighed in at 7 lbs 15.5 ozs yesterday!

Braden Cai - Week 1

Here are pics from April 21st at home through April 25th.

Braden Cai - Week 1

Braden Cai - Delivery & Hospital Stay

Alright! It's been a week since we got home. I've finally managed to get most of the pics transferred from the cameras to the computer and uploaded to Picasa. Here's the first album: (click to view the entire album - slide show is the recommended viewing method)

April 17th, 2009 - April 21st, 2009

Braden Cai - Hospital

I will be posting more pics soon - hopefully tomorrow.

Braden Cai Carroll has arrived!

Braden Cai arrived at 12:02pm on Saturday, April 18th, 2009. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 6.4 oz and was 20" head to toe.

THE STORY (may be too graphic for some readers - although, I've tried to tone it down):
We went to the hospital and checked in at 9:30pm on Friday, April 17th. After checking in, they put me on monitors, put in an IV port, and drew blood for labs. After being monitored for about 30 minutes, they called the doc to let her know what was going on. She had the nurses go ahead and start me on Cytotek to get things going a little better. After seeing that contractions had gotten going, they gave me a couple of Ambien so I could hopefully get some rest.

Evidently I did get some rest that night. However, by 3:30am, I was up again. At 3:48am, as I recall, my water broke. There was meconium in the fluid so the nurses called the doctor again. Since the meconium was very dilute the weren't too concerned. However, just to be safe, they started an amnio infusion to help further dilute the meconium. The also went ahead and started my epidural and a Pitocin drip. (At this point, I'm still only dialated to 1cm.)

Here is where time went out the window for me... I'm having contractions about every minute now - even though I'm not feeling them. The nurses have now seen the baby "decel" twice. (This means that the baby's heart rate is decelerating to an unfavorable pace.) They call the doc. She comes in and checks me. I'm still only at 1.5 cm... She tells us that if the baby decels again that it will be 3 strikes and a trip to the OR. Within the next hour, the baby's heart rate again goes below 50 beats per minute. The OR is scheduled and we're put on-call.

The OR is finally available and we're prepped. Right before they wheel me out of the room they pump me up with an extra dose in my epidural. (At this point I still have some sensation and movement in my lower extremities.) Mom is sent to the waiting room and Daniel is sent to put on scrubs.

Once in the OR, they tie my legs down and prep my abdomen. They poke me up and down with a sharp plastic object to make sure I'm numb. Then, my doc pinches me - evidently rather hard - to make sure I really can't feel anything. I can't feel a thing, so it's all good. They bring Daniel in. He's walking in as they start to slice into my abdomen.

As they're slicing into me, I try to focus on Daniel. He looks so worried... I can only see sheets and smell buring flesh. He can see over the sheets to see what's going on. After just a few minutes of cutting and terrible odors, the doctor's assistant puts what seems like all of his weight on my upper abdomen to help push the baby out. There's a lot of pressure, then a popping sensation as Braden is pulled from my abdomen. The doctor cuts the umbilical cord, which was wrapped around Braden's neck three times, and passes Braden off to the pediatrician so he can be assessed and so she can finish with me.

Braden passes his first test with an Apgar score of 8/10. Five minutes later they test him again and he passes with a 9/10. They said it would have been a 10/10, but he wasn't crying. A nurse brings him over and takes a picture of the three of us! I then get to hold him for a minute before they take Daniel and Braden away so they can finish putting me back together.

The doc tells me that it was a good thing we scheduled to come in when we did, because we would have ended up coming in and delivering today anyway. Evidently the sore spot that I had on my upper left abdomen was where Braden's placenta had begun to deteriorate. They cleaned out my uterus and started stitching it up. About this time, a nurse came over and said she was going to give me something to make me stop shaking - I had been shaking throughout the Cesarean due to medications. This is the last I remember until waking up in recovery.

Next, post-op experiences.

Over-Due by 1 Week

Well, the "official" due date has come and gone. We're now a week over-due... Hopefully, today's office visit will be less stressful/emotional/upsetting than the last two. If anyone has some GOOD ob-gyn recommendations, please send them!

Today will be my last day at work until June - as long as the delivery goes as planned that is.

I'll do my best to update again after my appointment.

Pic Catch-up

Okay - I know I've fallen behind on posting pics... Here are some updated pics:

A reminder of where I started:


March 22nd:


April 5th:


Other Pics:

Week 40

Baby

• Hooray! You're in your fortieth week of pregnancy and your baby is now due. Don't worry if you're still waiting as you due date passes. It's not unusual to still be waiting for your baby to be born since a normal pregnancy may last for up to another two weeks.
• An average size baby now weighs about 7.5 lbs (3400g) and measures about 21.5 inches (50cm) long. Crown to rump measurement is about 14.8 to 15.2 inches (37 to 38cm). As you will see when your baby is born, these are averages only and vary from baby to baby. Your baby may weigh and measure more or less that this.
• The presenting part is down in the lower portion of your uterus and pressing through your softened and partially opened cervix.
• You may be surprised by the initial appearance of your baby when it is first born. Her head may be slightly misshapen from passing through the birth canal, though this usually does not last more than a day or two. Her coloring may initially appear bluish, purplish or pale yellow and she may be covered with vernix, blood, lanugo and some meconium if she passes her waste in utero. Her genitals may also be swollen due to high hormone levels that were passed from you during your pregnancy, and she may have some skin discolorations or spots which will probably fade quite quickly.

Mommy

• Congratulations! You'll be a mommy very soon. You're about as big as you can get and you're also ready for your baby to be born.
• Along with your pregnancy symptoms that may include discomfort, fatigue and Braxton Hicks contractions, you probably feel very excited, nervous and anxious about labor, childbirth and having a baby.
• Your skin feels stretched and taut across your belly and it probably feels itchy. You may experience "pins and needles" in your legs.
• If you haven't shown any symptoms of labor by week 42, your doctor or midwife may become concerned and may discuss inducing labor.

Week 39

Baby

• Your baby probably weighs just over 7 pounds (3250g) by now and measures about 14.4 inches (36cm) from crown to rump and has a total length of about 21.5 inches (48cm).
• Your baby's lungs are the last part to develop before birth. Once the lungs are developed, your baby is ready for life outside the womb.
• By now your baby has almost run out of space to move in your uterus.
• Your baby has shed most of her lanugo, though she may still have some on her shoulders and in the creases of her body.
• Her toenails reach the end of her toes.
• The umbilical cord, which still is supplying your baby with nutrition as she gains more weight, may be knotted or wrapped around her.
• Some of your antibodies have crossed the placental barrier and give your baby's immune system a boost to get her started until hers is fully functioning.
• Your baby could be born any day now.

Mommy

• You surely feel very large and uncomfortable but you're almost at the end of your pregnancy! - DUH!
• You can expect your weight to remain stable now. - Yea!
• Your cervix will soften and begin to partially open.
• You may be having strong Braxton Hicks contractions as your uterus prepares to give birth to your baby!
• You're almost there!

Week 38

I decided to go get a haircut yesterday after working on TAKS review all morning. Daniel said that the cut & style makes me look like my mom. :) We'll see what he thinks when my hair isn't straightened.

Dad arrived last night and we went out for dinner at Razzoo's. I don't think our child cares much for Cajun right now. I got beat up pretty good for that one. I ended up having to take a dose of extra strength Tylenol to get comfortable enough to sleep.

We're nearing the end now...

Baby:

• On average, at this time, a baby weighs about 6.8 pounds (3100g) and measures about 14 inches (35cm) from crown to rump and 21 inches (47cm) total in length.
• Your baby is still growing and gaining weight. Your baby may gain as much as 1 ounce (28g) a day at this point.
• If your baby is a boy, his testes should have descended into the scrotum by this time. Your doctor will check that his testes have descended after delivery. About one percent of boys will have undescended testes.
• Your baby has been building up waste in his intestines for the past few weeks. Called meconium, this waste is greenish-black and is made up of material from blood cell break down, shedded cells from the lining of the intestine, skin cells and lanugo shed into the amniotic fluid and swallowed, as well as other sources. Meconium is the first waste your baby passes and the first diapers that you change will probably be comprised of this greenish-black, tar-like substance. There is also a chance that your baby will excrete meconium before delivery and have some covering his body.

Mommy:

• You have probably gained around 30 lbs (13.5 kg) by now and you won't gain much more at this point. (absolutley correct!)
• You feel tired and ready for your pregnancy to end. (DUH!)
• You may have an unusual sensation inside your vagina when the baby's head presses against the muscles of the pelvic floor.
• You may experience false labor contractions before the real contractions begin. These are not like Braxton Hicks contractions and may feel as strong as real labor. The difference between real and false labor is that false labor contractions do not become regular and often disappear when you move around. While you are likely to really have no doubt when real labor begins, you may want to call your doctor or caregiver if you think you might be in labor and then he or she can help you assess whether or not you need to head off to the hospital. It is not unusual to go to the hospital with false labor pains and be sent home again. (Already experienced both Braxton Hicks and false labor... The BH ctx aren't bad at all - my abdomen just feels like a watermelon. The false labor ctx HURT! Ready or not...)

Week 37

• Your baby is now considered full term. He weighs approximately 6.5 lbs (2950g) and his total length is about 21 inches (47cm). Your baby's crown to rump measurement is about 14 inches (35cm).
• By now, your baby's head may have engaged into your pelvis.
• You may feel that your baby occasionally has hiccups from his "practice breathing".
• Though your baby is considered full term, he is still growing and developing both his body and his brain.
• He is still laying down fat at a rate of more than half an ounce every day.

UPDATES!!!

Last week:

From Belly Pics

This week:

From Belly Pics

From Belly Pics

Here are some baby room pics:
Click and view as a slide show.

Baby Room

Week 36

• Your baby weighs about 6 lbs (2750g) and measures about 20.7 inches (46cm) in length. Crown to rump measurement is about 13.5 inches (34cm).
• Your baby now feels lower in your pelvis.
• Your baby continues to grow, kick, and move about.
• Your baby's face has filled out and the cheeks now look plump and full. Fat baby cheeks are caused by fat deposits, but also by powerful sucking muscles which your baby has been honing by sucking her thumb.
• Your baby's skull is firm, but it is not hard as it needs to give a little when it is passing through the birth canal.
• Your baby's head is probably down by now, but about three percent of babies present in a breech (bottom down) position.

Week 35

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted pics more often lately. Believe me - I've got tons of shower pics and more belly pics to share - I just don't have the time to really go through them right now to get them posted. I'm working on getting ready to be gone from work right now so my sub doesn't have to make lessons for me. Please be patient with me, as I'll get them posted - eventually.

• Your baby now measures about 20.25 inches (45cm) in total length and weighs around 5.5 lbs (2550g). Crown to rump measurement is about 13.2 inches (33cm).
• He continues to grow and fatten up, especially in the shoulder area, and kicks regularly.
• The fine lanugo hair that covered your baby is shedding, though some may still be present when your baby is born.
• Your baby's eyes are blue, though this may change soon after birth or much later after birth.
• Your baby's fingernails are growing. They already reach the tips of his fingers and they may even look quite long and pointy by the time he is born. Your baby may even have some scratch marks from scratching his face with his fingernails.
• Your baby is probably feeling quite cramped right now and his movements are restricted by his growing size.

Week 34

• Your baby weighs almost 5 lbs (2250 g) and is 12.8 inches (32cm) from crown to rump and about 19.8 inches (44cm) long.
• If your baby were born now, she would be considered "pre-term" rather than premature. This distinction is based on fetal maturity, particularly the maturity of the fetal lungs. A pre-term baby, unlike a premature baby, is likely to have well-developed lungs and is less likely to need intensive care.
• Your baby is surrounded by a red glow when sunlight shines on your belly and may be aware of this as she is able to differentiate between light and dark.
• Your baby's hair is getting thicker, though it may be a different color when she is older.
• She is currently shedding her lanugo, the fine downy hair that previously covered her body.
• More vernix, the waxy coating that protects your baby's skin while submerged in amniotic fluid, is building up.
• Your baby's adrenal glands are producing more steroid hormone, the androgen-like hormone that indirectly aids your milk production.
• Your baby is currently producing ten times more adrenaline than a normal adult and the adrenal glands are currently the same size as those of an adolescent. They will shrink after birth.
• Your baby is laying down bone. To do this, she will draw calcium from you.
• Your baby has taste buds and it has been suggested that she can taste and develop tastes for flavors found in the amniotic fluid, particularly flavors that you eat on a regular basis.

3-D Pics

Check out the 3-D photo album:

Baby Carroll's 3D Ultrasound

I'm trying to figure out how to get the video uploaded in a good format for the web... If you have recommendations/thoughts - bring it on!

Week 33

• Your baby now weighs about 4.4 lbs (2000g) and measures about 12 inches (30cm) from crown to rump and about 19.4 inches (43cm) in total.
• Now that your baby is running out of room in your womb, you can probably see your belly moving as your baby kicks.
• Your baby may dream as he sleeps and when awake he may be alert, listening, feeling and even seeing dim shapes.
• Though your baby is still inside the womb, he is learning all the time as billions of neurons are making connections.
• Your baby is probably in his birth position by now.
• Your baby's lungs may be sufficiently developed by now, though if he were born now, he would probably still need an incubator to stay warm.

Week 32

• Your baby's total length is 18.9 inches (42cm) and she is perfectly formed!
• She measures about 11.6 inches (29cm) from crown to rump. All she has to do is fill out more.
• Your baby weighs almost 4 pounds (1800g). If she were to be born now, she would still need to be incubated as she has insufficient fat stores to keep warm.
• Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
• Your baby can hear the outside world quite well now, and can also hear the sounds of your heartbeat, your digestion and the blood rushing in the umbilical cord.
• The pitch of women's voices are in the range babies are most able to hear over all the internal background noise.
• Your baby is already familiar with your voice and will be able to recognize it after birth.

Week 31

The shower at Skydive Houston this weekend was a blast! Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate with us! A BIG thank you to Kristi & Kate for organizing the party, and Dave & Todd for cooking an awesome meal!

Development this week:

• Your baby now weighs about 3.5 lbs (1600g) and measures about 18 inches (40cm) in total and about 11.2 inches (28cm) from crown to rump.
• Your baby's increasing size means that she has less room to move around in your uterus.
• Your baby could already be moving into the head-down position.
• Your baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that your baby would have a much greater chance of survival if he were born prematurely.
• About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of your uterus to the site of the placenta, though your blood never mixes with your baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.
• Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates.
• Your baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.

Catching Up

Okay - I've been threatened by my mother with nasty comments if I don't get some pics posted! I guess I'd better get to postin'!

I'm going to forego the measurements this round since there's a baby shower this weekend. I'd hate for anyone to have an advantage at guessing girth...

Two weeks ago:


This past week:


Fun pics:


Daniel - exhausted:


Caught chillin' w/ Stella: